Page 234 of Scars of Fate

The aircraft began moving before the ramp closed.

I set Wynn behind a cargo barrier and turned toward the opening.

Adam and Hawk fired down the runway.

Meridian’s soldiers ran after us.

Minser walked.

Calmly.

As though he already knew how this would end.

The aircraft accelerated.

Minser raised one hand.

The soldiers stopped firing.

That frightened me more than the bullets.

“Why did they stop?” Boone asked.

Hawk looked through his scope.

“They’re falling back.”

Ghost stared toward the tree line.

“Missile team.”

A flash appeared near the hangar.

“Brace!” Adam shouted.

The missile raced toward us.

The aircraft lifted from the runway.

Not enough.

Not fast enough.

Ghost shouted toward the cockpit.

“Flares!”

The pilot deployed the aircraft’s defensive countermeasures.

White fire erupted behind us.

The missile veered toward the flares.

Then struck the runway.

The explosion threw the aircraft sideways.

I slammed against the cargo barrier.